Cinnamon
Cinnamomum verum
True cinnamon is the inner bark of coppiced shoots, peeled and rolled into quills; a handsome evergreen for pots.
Hardiness: zones 10 to 12
Light: part shade
Size: about 30 ft tall, 15 ft wide
Harvest: year-round
From: Sri Lanka
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, wildlife, traditional use.
Native to: South & Southeast Asian tropics. Hardy in zones 10 to 12.
The story
True cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka, and for centuries Arab traders kept its source secret with tales of giant birds. The Portuguese, Dutch and British each fought to control the island's cinnamon gardens.
Planting
Part shade, warmth, humidity and sandy, well-drained soil. It makes a handsome pot plant.
Growing
After two or three years, cut it to the ground so it sends up straight shoots, as coppice.
Harvest and use
Cut two-year-old shoots in the rainy season, scrape off the outer bark, then peel the inner bark and let it curl and dry.
What to watch for
Frost. Most supermarket 'cinnamon' is the coarser cassia, a different tree.
Safety
Cassia, the common supermarket cinnamon, is high in coumarin; regular large amounts can harm the liver. Ceylon cinnamon has much less.
Medicinal uses here are shared as history, not advice. Kitchen amounts are fine for most people, but teas, tinctures and supplements can interact with medicines and aren't safe for everyone, especially in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, for children, or with liver or kidney problems. Ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking any plant as medicine.
See if Cinnamon fits your yard
Free planner: enter your ZIP for frost dates, climate fit and a sowing calendar. No account, no ads, no tracking cookies.
More tropical and subtropical food plants
General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home